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Hydralisk
The hydralisk is the zerg basic front-line creature, forming the backbone of their onslaughts with its resistant carapace and ranged spine attack. Overview The hydralisk is a zerg evolution of the slothien, combined with seven or eight distinct and diverse organism strains.Blizzard Entertainment. Project Blackstone, accessed on 2013-06-28 While slothiens were peaceful herbivores, the hydralisk is noted as being one of the most fierce and sadistic of the zerg strains.Underwood, Peter, Bill Roper, Chris Metzen and Jeffrey Vaughn. StarCraft (Manual). Irvine, Calif.: Blizzard Entertainment, 1998. Hydralisks are a versatile combat strain, and form the backbone of the Swarm, acting as shock troops.2015-07-15, StarCraft II: Field Manual. YouTube, accessed on 2015-08-01 To terrans, hydralisks symbolize the Swarm's power more than any other strain. Physiology , bearing the strain's original physiology]] Hydralisks are covered in armored plates. The average hydralisk in 2499 was 5.4m long, 2.1Zerg: Medium Assault Warrior Hydralisk, Galaxy Kits. Accessed on 2018-10-15 and weighed anything from 390 kgBack of the original StarCraft box, 1998. to 3500kg. At "cruising speed," they could move from 13-24 kph. The hydralisks of this era were smaller and leaner than the creatures that would follow them, which also possess tri-bladed scythes instead of the single ones used by the hydralisks of the Great War and Brood War. Hydralisks of the Great War and Brood War era were characterized by an imposing, colorful crest. Despite their relatively sluggish nature, hydralisks can climb vertical surfacesHickman, Tracy (May 21, 2002). StarCraft: Speed of Darkness. Simon & Schuster (Pocket Star). ISBN 0-671-04150-9. and continued evolution of the strain through muscular augmentation through genetic manipulation has resulted in faster hydralisks, increasing their locomotion by up to 25%, both on and off creep. Barba, Rick. StarCraft Field Manual (hardcover). Insight Editions, November 17, 2015. Hydralisks muscles and tendons are strong and impenetrable by a number of weapons, but have the flexibility of leather.Dayton, Cameron. "Cold Symmetry." (March 7, 2013). Blizzard Entertainment. StarCraft Lore: Cold Symmetry Accessed 2013-03-07. Dominion Intelligence Section published reports that hydralisks had a weak spot in their head, though many marines attest to such a weak spot being the creature's chest.Barba, Rick. StarCraft Field Manual (hardcover). Insight Editions, November 17, 2015. The hydralisk's endocrine and adrenal were altered as part of their evolution. The chemicals pumped into their bloodstream effectively force them to live in a perpetual "fight response." Some hydralisk variants seem to be able to overcharge their specialized endocrine system, substantially increasing aggression and savagery. As the backbone of the Swarm, hydralisks are subject to constant evolutionary improvement. hydralisk]] Prior to the beginning of the Brood War, hydralisks gained the ability to mutate into lurkers.Underwood, Peter, Chris Metzen and Bill Roper. StarCraft: Brood War (Manual). Irvine, Calif.: Blizzard Entertainment, 1998. Hydralisks changed drastically in the transition to the Second Great War, and evolved more bone claws as well as a bulkier figure.Barba, Rick. StarCraft Field Manual (hardcover). Insight Editions, November 17, 2015. During the Second Great War, the ability of hydralisks to metamorphose into lurkers was temporarily lost. The Leviathan Brood was the exception, due to the inherent link between hydralisks and lurkers within the brood.Blizzard Entertainment. StarCraft II: Legacy of the Void. Collections Tab: Skins. July 19, 2017 After the End War, some hydralisks were given the essence of the noxious strain of ultralisks, giving them new toxic abilities and changing their appearance.Blizzard Entertainment. ''StarCraft II: Legacy of the Void''. Collections Tab: Skins. July 19, 2017 By the Battle of Adena, the hydralisks of the Niadra Brood possessed a different physique from their Swarm counterparts, being longer, slimmer, and possessing shorter, less curved scythes. They fired their spikes from their hands rather than their upper carapace plates.Watrous, Valerie (w), Manual, Garcia (i) and Javir Mena ©. (December 9th, 2017). StarCraft II: Shadow Wars: Part 4. Blizzard Entertainment. StarCraft II: Shadow Wars: Part 4 Accessed 2017-12-09. Tactics Since hydralisks move relatively slowly over open terrain,Hydralisk. StarCraft Compendium. Accessed on 2007-11-27 it is common for hydralisks to burrow and await their prey to enter killing range before attacking,Bill Slavicsek, David Eckelberry, Shawn F. Carnes. Alternity: StarCraft Edition. Wizards of the Coast, March 1, 2000. ISBN 0-7869-1618-4. destroying their enemies in a deadly crossfire.StarCraft II-Hydralisk. Accessed on 2008-03-10 Current terran tactics for dealing with the creatures stress the need for siege tank support, and are only to be approached by trained soldiers. Hydralisks are sometimes supported by infestors.Overview: Zerg, accessed on 2011-01-13 Attacks Hydralisks may attack directly with tri-bladed scythes Grown from the relatively soft ribs of the slothien, they were hardened through genetic manipulation. The high-density bone blades are connected to a set of fast-twitching, striated muscles, which allow for great striking power with a modest range of motion, deadly even in restricted mobility scenarios such as tight corridors or trenches. More commonly though, hydralisks strike from a distance with volleys of armor-piercing spines, 30cm in length, and is their deadlier form of attack. Hundreds of these spines are stored in the upper carapace plates and covered by flaps. The flaps fold back before the spines fire,Hydralisks fold back their top carapace flap to reveal those spines, it's an attack animation. When they are out of battle, they fold in again to hide them. What he said. Cavez, PsiWarp. 2009-02-05. Karune: screenshot question about hydras. Battle.net StarCraft II General Discussion Forum. Accessed 2009-02-05. and the hydralisk's head is dipped beforehand. These physical signs give a hydralisk's foes a few seconds warning before they launch their volley. The hydralisk has 4,000 muscles, compared to a terran's 629, and a portion of these may be used to launch the spines with enough force to penetrate 2 cm. of neosteel at a range of over 300 meters or even half a kilometerMaxwell, Matthew. "The Teacher." (Feb. 20, 2013). Blizzard Entertainment. StarCraft Lore: The Teacher Accessed 2013-02-20. at a velocity greater than that of the C-20A rifle,Kenyon, Nate. (September 27, 2011). StarCraft: Ghost: Spectres. Simon & Schuster (Pocket Star). ISBN 978-1439-10938-0. moving at near hypersonic speeds. The spines were evolved from the slothien's defensive urticating hairs; they may be "grooved" for increased range and are highly poisonous.Blizzard Entertainment. StarCraft II: Wings of Liberty. (Activision Blizzard). PC. Conversations after Gates of Hell (in English). 2010Blizzard Entertainment. StarCraft II: Wings of Liberty. (Activision Blizzard). PC. Horace Warfield (in English). 2010. The hydralisk may also use its jaw as a weapon. With an estimated bite force of 5000 pounds per square inch, the hydralisk's jaw can easily cut through flesh, bone, and even neosteel.2014-09-25, Hydralisk Science. Blizzard Entertainment, accessed on 2014-09-27 Hydralisks have also demonstrated the ability to spread a webbing that encases and constricts a target, allowing them to be restrained and transported for infestation.Golden, Christie (November 27, 2007). StarCraft: The Dark Templar Saga #2: Shadow Hunters. Simon & Schuster (Pocket Star). ISBN 978-0-7434-7126-8. History The first recorded encounter between terrans and hydralisks was aboard a cargo vessel. The hydralisk was recorded by the derelict ship's security cameras. Since then, hydralisks have established themselves in terran culture to a notable extent. Sometimes colloquially called "hydras,"Giffen, Keith and Simon Furman (w), Federico Dallocchio (p, i), Milen Parvanov (col). "StarCraft #1" StarCraft 1 (1) (May 27, 2009) DC Comics (Wildstorm). hydralisk skulls have been mounted akin to trophies in Joeyray's BarJoeyray's Bar. Artist: Blizzard Entertainment. Accessed on 2010-03-12 and on an ore loader on Sorona.Dayton, Cameron. "Broken Wide." (March 5, 2010). Blizzard Entertainment. Broken Wide Accessed 2010-03-05. The Annual Hydralisk Derby has also become an established event.Leord, 4th Annual Hydralisk Derby. StarCraft Wire. Accessed on 2009-07-12 Project Tamed was a Dominion project that attempted to use controlled hydralisks as living weapons, but it backfired, as the control was feigned, and they had in fact never been removed from the control of the Queen of Blades.Maxwell, Matthew. "The Teacher." (Feb. 20, 2013). Blizzard Entertainment. StarCraft Lore: The Teacher Accessed 2013-02-20. Game Unit StarCraft :For StarCraft gameplay information see: Hydralisk (StarCraft). StarCraft: Ghost ]] Hydralisks were featured as a player unit in ''StarCraft: Ghost, in addition to acting as enemies. Hydralisks maintained their StarCraft abilities but also gained a powerful claw attack.Source: BlizzCon 2005 StarCraft: Ghost information. Zerg units. Artist: Blizzard Entertainment. Accessed 2007-09-08. Their poison quill attack interfered with terran vision.1up staff. 2005-10-28. StarCraft Ghost Previews from 1UP.com 1up.com Accessed 2008-11-09. They moved more slowly than zerglings. In Invasion mode, transforming a zergling into a hydralisk cost one point.Park, Andrew. 2005-10-28. Starcraft: Ghost Updated Multiplayer Hands-On - Zerg Rush! Gamespot. Accessed 2008-11-09. StarCraft II :For StarCraft II gameplay information see: Hydralisk (StarCraft II) Heroes of the Storm The Hunter Killer strain of hydralisk can be summoned by Zagara in Heroes of the Storm.Blizzard Entertainment. Heroes of the Storm (Blizzard Entertainment) (in English). June 2, 2015 Hydralisks can be spawned on the map Braxis Holdout, and are part of the zerg attack waves that are sent against opponents.Blizzard Entertainment. Heroes of the Storm (Blizzard Entertainment) (in English). June 2, 2015 Warcraft III s in Warcraft III]] The hydralisk appears as an Easter egg unit in Warcraft III and its expansion, The Frozen Throne. Diablo III A hydralisk skull can be found in the second2014-05-16, Celebrate Two Years of Diablo III With Undiscovered Easter Eggs. The Escapist, accessed on 2014-05-17 and fifth acts2014-05-16, Two Years of Diablo III With Undiscovered Easter Eggs. The Escapist, acessed on 2014-05-18 of Diablo III. Known Hydralisks Variant Strains *Chitha (aka psyolisk) *Enthralled hydralisk *Hunter Killer *Hydolysk (cut content) *Mecha hydralisk (terran replicant) *Primal hydralisk *Temple Guardian *Zergrinch Warg Evolutions *Impaler *Lurker Individuals *"Dennis" *Frayne the Feral *Specimen 16G *Vaevictis (Hunter Killer) Notes *The hydralisk is often nicknamed "hydra" in online culture. *The fossil of a hydralisk (or similar creature) can be found in cliff walls in the wasteland tileset of StarCraft. This hydralisk is much larger than its standard counterpart. *The body of a hydralisk can be glimpsed at in The Art of Overwatch, being stood upon by the character of McCree.2017-10-17, TIL McCree from Overwatch was actually Prospector Logann from Starcraft. StarCraft Reddit, accessed on 2017-10-18 The artwork itself dates back to when a ''StarCraft'' MMO was pitched in the aftermath of the cancellation of Project Titan.2017-05-11, BlizzCon 2017: How Overwatch rose from Titan’s failure. Blizzard Watch, accessed on 2017-11-05 Merchandise *A hydralisk action figure was released in 1998.2012-05-04, Zerg Hydralisk. Figure of the Day, accessed on 2012-07-27 *A hydralisk action figure was created by ToyCom in 2003.2019-08-06, Zerg Hydralisk. Dash Action Figures, accessed on 2019-08-06 *A hydralisk kit was released by Galaxy Kits in 2001. *A hydralisk bottle cap figure from Kotobukiya was created.STARCRAFT 2 KOTOBUKIYA HYDRALISK (Zerg) Bottle Cap Figure Collection Miniature, Amazon.com. Accessed on 2015-08-06 *A hydralisk t-shirt was created by Jinx for sale to promote Heart of the Swarm.StarCraft II Hydralisk Premium Tee e, Jinx.com. Accessed on 2019-08-06 Hydralisk SC1 Phys1.jpg|Hydralisk action figure HydraliskToycom Real1.JPG|Toycom Hydralisk figure HydraliskGalaxyKit_Real1.jpg|Hydralisk Galaxy Kit HydraliskBottleCap Real1.jpg|Hydralisk Bottlecap Figure HydraliskShirt Jinx Real1.jpg|Hydralisk Jinx T-shirt design References Category:StarCraft: Ghost Zerg units Category:Swarm zerg breeds